Termination of a Child Support Obligation

The Office of Child Support Hearings (OCSH) has the authority to terminate child support obligations in accordance with the provisions contained in the current court or administrative child support order. Many (but not all) Hawaiʻi child support orders contain provisions for continuing child support beyond the child’s eighteenth birthday if the child is:

Still in high school, or

Enrolled as a full-time student in school or has been accepted into and plans to attend as a full-time student for the next semester a post-high school university, college, or vocational school

The Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) usually begins communications with the parties near a child’s eighteenth birthday to determine whether child support should terminate. If the appropriate proof is provided, the CSEA will continue enforcing child support. The CSEA may initiate administrative proceedings to terminate the child support if it does not receive proof of enrollment.

CSEA will serve both parents with a proposed administrative order to terminate the child support obligation.

Each parent then has an opportunity to request a hearing to contest the proposed order. If a parent requests a hearing within the time period allowed, a hearing is scheduled and conducted. Issues that may be addressed at a termination hearing include:

Terms of the current child support order concerning adult child support

Whether the conditions for continuing child support have been/are being met

The Hearing Officer will determine whether child support will continue or be terminated.

To prepare for a hearing parties should read thoroughly all documents they receive from the CSEA and the OCSH. These documents will explain the action the CSEA is proposing and what laws and/or regulations govern it.

See also the Preparing for Your Hearing section of this website regarding documents parties may want to present at the administrative hearing.